NEW DELHI - The first session of the 16th Lok Sabha will be held June 4-11, said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu here May 29, adding that its agenda, among other things, includes new members taking oath and election of the speaker. Briefing reporters after a meeting of the union cabinet, Naidu said the swearing in of the new members will take place June 4 and June 5.

He said Congress MP Kamal Nath will be the pro-tem speaker and three other senior Lok Sabha members will assist him in getting new members sworn in. "The election of the speaker will take place June 6," Naidu said.He said President Pranab Mukherjee will address a joint session of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha June 9 and the motion of thanks to the president's address will be on June 10-11. Naidu said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the discussion on the president's address in both houses of parliament. The Rajya Sabha will convene for the joint session June 9.He said Kamal Nath was the "seniormost among the members" and will be sworn in by the president as the pro-tem speaker.Asked if the Congress leader in the house will get the status of the Leader of Opposition given the party could secure only 44 seats in the Lok Sabha, Naidu said the government was studying various precedents and was discussing the issue. "There is still time to take that call," he said. Asked if some parties could join hands to become the largest group in opposition, Naidu said that there was "no precedence of coalition of opposition". (IANS)